Campaign against firecrackers conducted in Balurghat

BALURGHAT: A Balurghat-based social welfare organisation conducted an awareness programme in Balurghat urging people to boycott firecrackers during Kali Puja and Diwali celebrations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The members of the organisation campaigned against bursting of firecrackers at Balurghat public bus stand area by holding posters in their hands on Thursday.

One of the members of the organisation, Tuhin Subhra Mondal said: "It is our appeal to the common people not to burst loud noise generating firecrackers for the sake of COVID-19 patients. The bursting of firecrackers emits harmful chemicals which may have a severe impact on the respiratory health of vulnerable groups and may aggravate the health conditions of Covid patients staying in home isolation."

According to him, the poisonous gas released by bursting crackers may be fatal for serious elderly Covid patients.

Another member of the organisation Shruti Goswami said: "We are against bursting of any kind of firecrackers for this Diwali and Kali Puja

celebrations as the smoke and pollution by bursting crackers would cause more harm to patients who are suffering from Corona virus or

are recovering from the disease." The members of the organisation unveiled several awareness cartoon posters and opened a helpline control-room number in order to inform them if any such incident of bursting crackers occurs in and around the city. Notably, the district administration and police had earlier asked the residents to avoid bursting firecrackers during the ongoing festival to check air pollution.

With the cases increasing in Balurghat civic areas after Durga Puja, the district administration has again imposed micro-containment zones in several parts of the city. Police have started intensifying action against people flouting pandemic protocols.